Tool for extracting frames from beehives



Sept 15,1925.

P. L. WILSON TOOL FOR BXTRACTING FRAIES FROM BEEHIVES H1! June 28 1924amnion To'all whom it may concern:

Patented Sept. 1925.

U'NITEDSTATES-I PATENT OFFICE} mirror: L. WILSON, or SANTA CRUZ,CALIFORNIA.

TOOL FOR EXTRACTING FRAMES FROM BEEHIVES Application filed June 28,1924. SeriallI-o. 722,924.

Be it known that I. PAYTON L. WILSON, alcitizen of the United States,residing'at Santa Cruz, in the county of Santa Cruz and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toolsfor apart usually not more than three-eighths of an inch, and as aconsequence,in removing the frames, it is necessary to pry them upwardlyuntil they can be grasped by the fingers, as the space between theframes is "too small to admit thefl fingers. only an inconvenient 'wayofextracting the frames from the hive, but the frames are liable to slipfrom the fingers, "and if a sharp instrument is employed'in prying theframesupwardlygthe top bars of the frames are liableto become'mutilated. Therefore, it is the primary object of the present inventionto provide atool which may be readily applied to the top bar of a broodframe and conveniently grasped to not only extract the frame from thehive but also permit of the frame being carried to any desiredpointafter its extraction.

v Another object of the invention isto provide a tool ,lf or .thepurpose above outlined which, while ,it (will securely and firmlygripjthe top bar of'the frame to be lifted out of the" hive, will notdamage the frame in any way and will not be liable to release the frameso long as thetool is held in the hand. y I p I Another objector theinvention is to provide a tool forthe purpose stated which -will besimple and durable in construction and inexpensive to manufactureandWhich Will likewise comprise a minimum number of parts so connected asto obviateany likei r members 1, and the sald members being in thismanner connected for relative pivotal lihood of relative displacement.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toolembodying the invention, the brood frame to be lifted by the tool beingshown in dot and dash lines. I v

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on theline 2.2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The tool embodying the invention com- This is not I prises a pair ofcounterpartgrippingniemhers indicated in general by the numeral 1 andeach. formed from an integral sheet metal blank. Each of the grippingmembers comprises a pair of side members indicated by the numeral 2which are integrally connected at their upper ends by a cross piece 3whichvconstitutes a portion of the hand grip ofeach member, which gripis indicated in general by the numeral 4. The

grlpportion 1- includes not only the connect-- ing cross member 3 butalso upper and lowerlflangesfi and 6 which are located at and extendalong the upper and lower edges of the said connecting portion 3and arebers, therefore, constitute means whereby inanipulated and, by theprovision of the said flanges 5 and 6, no sharpedges will be presentedto the hand. The side members 7 2 near their lower ends are somewhatwidened, as indicated by the numeral 7, and their said widened portionsare disposed in overlapping and intersecting relationship,

as illustrated in Figure 1 the two gripping members 1 being, aspreviously stated, of

counterpart form and being assembled in the manner shown in the saidfigure. The overlapping and intersecting portions 7 or the members ateach side of the tool are formed with registering openings, indicated bythe numeral 8, and a pivot rod 9 extends between'the said portions ofthe members and has its ends fitted loosely through the said openings 8and riveted down as indicated by the numeral 10, a

sleeve 11 being fitted onto the pivot rod 9 and engaging at its endsagainst the inner or opposing faces of the portions 7 of the movementabout the ends of thefsaid pivot rod 9.

The portion 7 of each'side member 2 is i 1 formed at its lower outercorner with a desaid biting edges will bite into the opposite sides ofthe top bar of the brood frame to be lifted from the hive, and it willbe understood, of course, that the parts will be so proportioned thatthe tool may be readily isposed to straddle the said top bar of theframe with the extensions 12 and prongs let engaging between the top barofthe frame to be extracted and the top bars of the next adjacentframes. Inasmuch as the edges 13 I of the extensions 12 are verticallydisposed and straight and the biting edges 15 of the prongs 14 projectonly a short distance beyond the vertical line of the said edges 13, thesaid biting edges are permitted to enter the, wood frames to a limiteddistance only 7 and just sufliciently far to insure of a firm' purchasebeing obtained and, therefore, not to an extent which would-result inmutilation of the frame.-

In order to limit the swinging movement of the members 1 to openposition and thus maintain the members in such relative position thatthe handle members 4 thereof may be conveniently grasped by not beingtoo widely separated at any time, small stop lugs 16 are punched outfrom the upper edge of one portion 7 of each of the members 1 and areengageable by the corresponding side 2 of the other member 1.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A gripping tool comprising cooperatin members of a duplicateconstruction and each formed from a blank of sheet metal including across bar'and arms at the ends of said cross bar, the free end portionsof said arms being extended outwardly to provide widened end portionsand having depending fingers at their outer lower corners, said armsbeing bent to extend from one side of said cross bar and said fingershaving their lower end portions bent inwardly and sharpened to providepenetrating prongs, said members disposed with the side faces of theirarms in contacting relation, and pivot means passing through said armsto mount the arms for swinging movement into and out of a grippingposition.

2. A gripping'tool for the purpose stated comprising a pair ofcounterpart members, each including spaced sides, and a hand gripconnecting the upper ends of the sides, the said members being formedfrom sheet metal as also the said hand grips and the said gripsand sidesbeing in one piece, the hand grip of each member having flangesextending along its upper and lower edges and directed inwardly wherebythe outer sides of the hand grips are devoid of sharp edges, the membersbeing assembled with their respective sides 1n crossed relation, meansplvotallyconnecting the sald crossed sides, each of sald sides having alaterally inwardly directed prong provided witlra biting edge. a

8. A gripping tool for the purpose stated comprising a pair ofcounterpart members, each including spaced sides formed as flat strips,and a hand rip connecting the upper ends of the sides, t e members beingassembled with their respective sides in crossed relation, meanspivotally connecting said crossed sides adjacent their lower ends, eachof said sides having its lower end portion extended outwardly and at itsouter lower corner provided with a depending arm, and teeth carried bythe lower ends of said arms for biting into oppositev side facesof anarticle gripped between said members.

In testimony whereof I afii'x my signature.

I PAYTON L. WILSON. [11.5.]

